Megyn Kelly Blows Out The Competition On The First Night Of Her New Show

AP
The debut of "The Kelly File," the new Fox News show hosted by rising-star host Megyn Kelly, blew out its competitors in the 9 p.m. ET hour Monday night, according to early ratings from Nielsen Media Research.

"The Kelly File" drew 2.1 million viewers on its first night, easily beating out CNN and MSNBC's 9 p.m. hours combined. Kelly's viewership grew 75% from the year-to-date average of former 1-3 p.m. time slot.

Kelly made a splash on the first night of her new show. Her first guest was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who has led the charge to "defund Obamacare" in congressional budget battles. Her first question to him: "How does it feel to be the most hated man in America?"

Also new to Fox News' lineup, "Shepard Smith Reporting" at 3 p.m. ET beat both cable-news competitors combined in both total viewers and in the key demographic.